I recently flashed my X850 Pro AGP's bios to open the pipes and started having problems with apps crashing to the desktop. I run OC'd to 530/590, but didn't have any problems prior to the flash so I fired up atitool to re-run my artifact tests.
Sure enough, I was no longer as stable as I had been, but I hate giving up mhz that are rightfully mine (despite what ATI might think), so I started playing with the fan controls.
I selected "try to keep GPU temerature at 70 degrees", thinking this was a pretty safe bet, and ran the artifact test again. My temps were rising dramatically, but the card routinely hits 90 degrees so there's nothing new there....
The phone rings and I take my eye off the temperture for a few seconds.. I glance back and the damn thing is running at 100 degrees.... I don't hear the fan running and I've got 'update temperature' to refresh at the default of every ten seconds. It could be 120degrees for all I know so I drop the phone, rip the power cord out of the wall and reboot.
Phew. Looks okay, but wtf is going on with these insane temps? I set the fan control to 100%, run the stress test again and watch the temps top out at 92 degrees. No wonder I'm crashing all over the desktop. Even at stock 500/500 speeds I'm in the high 80's.
Not cool... so to speak.
So I start investigating after market cooling mods. The Arctic Cooler 5 looks interesting, but it takes up an additional slot, and renders yet another one useless.
The Vcool is only twenty bucks, but it takes up an additonal two slots, as well. I open up my case to see If I can squeeze one of these gadgets in, and it suddenly occurs to me that simply removing the slot covers on the back of the case is liable to increase the airflow dramtically in and of itself, without having to kill my card's warranty (and pay for the privledge).
I'll make a long story shorter. At the same 530/590 OC, my temps never went above 72 degrees. Tests of the Vcool show a maximum 5 degree temperature loss, and a good GPU fan will do about the same for you. A ten degree temperature loss is about what you get with the Arctic Cooler...
But the question arises, if you've got an extra couple slots, why not just remove the covers to increase airflow under the GPU fan and pick up an extra 20 degrees for free?
Mine might be an extreme example, but if you own one of these laser-hot 850 AGP boards and the real estate to spare, this offers a reasonable alternative to voided warranties, gimmicky fans and ten dollar tubes of thermal paste.
Sure enough, I was no longer as stable as I had been, but I hate giving up mhz that are rightfully mine (despite what ATI might think), so I started playing with the fan controls.
I selected "try to keep GPU temerature at 70 degrees", thinking this was a pretty safe bet, and ran the artifact test again. My temps were rising dramatically, but the card routinely hits 90 degrees so there's nothing new there....
The phone rings and I take my eye off the temperture for a few seconds.. I glance back and the damn thing is running at 100 degrees.... I don't hear the fan running and I've got 'update temperature' to refresh at the default of every ten seconds. It could be 120degrees for all I know so I drop the phone, rip the power cord out of the wall and reboot.
Phew. Looks okay, but wtf is going on with these insane temps? I set the fan control to 100%, run the stress test again and watch the temps top out at 92 degrees. No wonder I'm crashing all over the desktop. Even at stock 500/500 speeds I'm in the high 80's.
Not cool... so to speak.
So I start investigating after market cooling mods. The Arctic Cooler 5 looks interesting, but it takes up an additional slot, and renders yet another one useless.
The Vcool is only twenty bucks, but it takes up an additonal two slots, as well. I open up my case to see If I can squeeze one of these gadgets in, and it suddenly occurs to me that simply removing the slot covers on the back of the case is liable to increase the airflow dramtically in and of itself, without having to kill my card's warranty (and pay for the privledge).
I'll make a long story shorter. At the same 530/590 OC, my temps never went above 72 degrees. Tests of the Vcool show a maximum 5 degree temperature loss, and a good GPU fan will do about the same for you. A ten degree temperature loss is about what you get with the Arctic Cooler...
But the question arises, if you've got an extra couple slots, why not just remove the covers to increase airflow under the GPU fan and pick up an extra 20 degrees for free?
Mine might be an extreme example, but if you own one of these laser-hot 850 AGP boards and the real estate to spare, this offers a reasonable alternative to voided warranties, gimmicky fans and ten dollar tubes of thermal paste.